And She Was Good
by SmileysBasis2
Summary: After a hellish day, Usagi and Setsuna fall into some silly drunken debauchery that gets them detained. Usagi has no idea what's going on around her but everyone seems to know something that she doesn't...and it has to do with her. [All Senshi included, ya'll know me] Rating subject to change!
1. The Innocent Hobbit

**And She Was Good**

**Chapter 1**: The Innocent Hobbit

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Sailor Moon or Gundam Wing (or The Lord of the Rings).

* * *

Click, drag. Click, drag. Command D, choose file, and place. Size image. Command L, check levels, and edit gray scale. Shift, move, option + shift, duplicate.

Usagi Tsukino's eyes held a listless boredom as she edited the image on the screen before her. It was a graphic meant to accompany the Dining Department's feature on burgeoning vegan trends. Usagi stuck out her tongue in mild disgust as she drew a face with googly eyes on some tempeh burger.

The Sanc Kingdom relied too much on trends but she'd admit it kept their magazine in business. _The Kingdom Observer_ was everyone's go-to on where they should be eating, what they should be wearing, what was "happening" artistically, and a more lackadaisical cover on politics and finance.

When Usagi was hired as a graphic designer, she figured it'd be a beautiful hustle and bustle like something out of _The Devil Wears Prada_. But alas the drab cubicle dream awaited her, cloaked under the guise of an artistically open set-up and good interior design.

Usagi sighed as she sank dramatically in her chair, butt hanging precariously off of her seat as her arms flopped outwards.

"Save me tempeh burger, savveee meeeee" she mumbled quietly, making a comically choked face. In a clean and modern bubble beneath the image of the googly-eyed burger, a crisp Helvetica read: "Try tempeh, it could turn your life around!" before splurging off into some long-winded explanation about nutrients.

The quick clacking of keys to Usagi's right puttered slowly to a stop. Pressing her lips into a straight line Usagi squinted and slowly turned her head. The redheaded woman next to her was eyeing Usagi strangely, a carrot hovering between the bag and her mouth as she made no effort to hide her repulsed expression.

Usagi's squint narrowed as she puckered her lips. She'd never liked this woman.

"What's up, _Genevieve_?" she said, imitating Bugs Bunny and looking pointedly at the carrot.

"You're so weird," Genevieve said with a small, degrading laugh.

Usagi pouted as she glared at the cruel woman. "Whatever, you left-handed ginger veg."

Genevieve gaped, briefly displaying a cavern of orange carrot in her mouth. Usagi slapped a hand over her mouth, amazed she'd said that out loud as Genevieve pointed an unhappy and accusing finger at her.

"God, everyone thinks you're so nice and dumb but I know the truth about you," she hissed, grabbing a carrot from the bag and purposely biting into it obnoxiously. The loud snap caused Usagi to sit up straight, not sure whether to take her first words as a compliment or a diss. Genevieve wagged her finger at her. "You're not nice. You're a sour puss. And you're dumb." She sat back with a satisfied smirk.

Usagi's mouth fell open. It wasn't that Genevieve's words had particularly hurt her, it was just…that was the best she could come up with? Usagi almost felt insulted to have such a terrible arch nemesis.

She stood up abruptly, her chair rolling far behind her. "Oh yeah? Well you devour carrots like that witch in Hansel in Gretel ate children. In…instead of trying to be young, you know, you just try to make your hair redder!"

Ok, so she wasn't very good at it either. Usagi wasn't even sure that there was a witch in Hansel and Gretel or if it ate children to stay young.

Genevieve looked so disappointed. "Seriously?" she said, raising an eyebrow as a blush filled Usagi's cheeks. "Just, I mean…_seriously?_"

"Shut up!" Usagi pouted, crossing her arms and stepping past both of their workstations. She paused before she'd cleared Genevieve's and leaned in to whisper, "your graphic of a rocket looks like a penis," before scampering away.

She breathed out heavily, running a hand through her bangs as she trudged into the Style Department. Spotting a long shock of dark green hair, her riled up nerves began to ease. Swooping in just as a man was about to sit in the chair next to her friend, Usagi held up a hand at his appalled yell.

"Hey!"

"Get lost Swelton, I need to talk to Setsuna about the graphic for tampons versus pads and—"

"Alright, alright! Jesus." Swelton rolled his eyes and held up his hands in defeat, backing away from the chair with a grossed-out blanch.

Setsuna raised an eyebrow as Usagi slumped childishly in the chair, crossing her arms. "Usagi, I am doing no such story. I work in style," she said obviously.

Usagi waved her hand. "Whatever. Men cower from the period like a fish should from a Taser." Her eyes followed Swelton with a glare.

Setsuna raised an eyebrow. "That was…a strange comparison, Usagi-chan."

Usagi ignored her, turning her fiery gaze down the hall towards Genevieve. "Ugh, even the way she types bothers me."

Setsuna kept her steady gaze on the fuming blonde. "Speaking of periods…" Usagi made a garbled noise that made Setsuna worried for her wellbeing. "Are you alright?"

"Her red hair gives me a headache…"

"Usagi-chan?"

"You can never trust someone who eats carrots…"

Slowly Setsuna reached out a finger, its point sinking into the softness of Usagi's cheek. Said girl was pulled from her reverie. "Hm?" she asked distractedly, Setsuna's finger creating an artificial dimple.

"What are you complaining about?"

"I can't stand Genevieve," Usagi mumbled, pulling down her eye and sticking out her tongue. Unlucky for her Genevieve took that precise moment to acknowledge the burning stare she felt on her.

Usagi squeaked and hid her face in her shirt like a turtle, turning her chair to face only Setsuna.

Setsuna sighed and chose to ignore her friend's dramatics. "Hey, I'm stopping by the fabric joint near your apartment. Do you want to walk home together?"

Usagi immediately perked up. "Yes!" she said excitedly. She and Setsuna had become fast friends when Usagi had started at the _Observer_. She liked to think that Setsuna recognized the shy quality about her and picked her up like an older sister. Where Usagi was a little rash, childish, and innocent, Setsuna, a mere three years senior to Usagi's 23, was rational, grown, and experienced. Where one would think they'd clash, they meshed like two pieces of a puzzle. "I hate walking home alo…Setsuna? Setsuna?"

The older woman had tilted her head to peek past her young friend. She used her finger to jab in the direction of Usagi's desk. "Um, Usagi-chan."

"Hmm?" Usagi looked over her shoulder and witnessed an irate and flustered Genevieve whipping carrots like darts at her desk. When she looked over her shoulder and saw Usagi's dropped jaw her look of strict determination grew and her arm became a circular blur. Orange bullets ricocheted off of her desk, spilled her pencils, and gathered on her papers.

"That freaking carrot nazi!" Usagi screamed, running over to her desk in a streak of blonde pigtails.

Setsuna shook her head and gave a small laugh, appreciative of Usagi's youthful luster. But soon the smirk on her lips slowly faded and her expression sank into a secretively serious one. She wasn't walking Usagi home because she wanted to drop by the fabric store…Setsuna had an uncomfortable sinking feeling in her stomach that something bad was going to happen that night.

* * *

"I mean, like who does that?!" Usagi squealed as they came to her stop on the subway. She balanced her feet as the car rocked and halted before letting go of the pole and stepping through the doors.

Setsuna followed calmly after her, hands placed in the small pockets of her stylish dress. "You did shove a carrot in her nose, Usagi-chan," she pointed out.

Usagi blushed as they stepped onto the escalator. "But that was only because she was shooting up my desk like it was D-Day or something," she whined loudly over the beehive-like bustle of the underground transportation hub. When the escalator finally broke through to fresh air it was no quieter.

Setsuna brushed back a lock of hair that took up in the sudden breeze. "You're both lucky you didn't get suspended or a pay deduction," she said gently as she watched the colors of the city lights emerge like a sunrise.

Usagi sighed, readjusting the bag on her shoulder and stepping from the escalator. "I suppose you're right," she admitted. "I just don't get why she's so catty."

Setsuna had opened her mouth to respond when a man in a green and black jacket barked an order at them.

"To the left please ladies!" he demanded when they'd tried to exit right. He held out his arm and moved the other like he was ushering cattle. "All commutes down Liberty Avenue are to follow the detour! Follow the orange signs people, Liberty Ave is closed off!"

Usagi followed the slow moving herd but peeked curiously over her shoulder. The street was closed off with metallic blockades, a series of large black vehicles with tinted windows flanking the sides. Preventers of all shapes stood directing anyone and everyone who came close to the blockade.

"What's going on?" she asked absentmindedly, wondering what all the hubbub was about.

Setsuna smiled. "Don't you ever read the news, Usagi-chan?" she asked. "Foreign Minister Darlian is returning from a summit in Brussels."

Usagi's face lit up and she clasped her hands in front of her chest. Setsuna could have sworn she saw swirling stars in her eyes. "Ah, Queen Relena…why she gave up the title of Queen I'll never know. I _dream_ of becoming a Queen…"

Usagi, lost in her daydreaming, did not notice the very soft smile Setsuna gave her.

"I feel as if the title of Queen would give her a very different role, one I'm not sure she was willing to take on," Setsuna tried to rationalize as they broke off from the pack down a less crowded street.

Usagi shrugged. "Yeah but to be a _Queen,_" she squealed, holding up her arms and spinning. "I would be Queen Usagi," she said giving an affirmative nod. "How do you do?" She curtsied to figments of her imagination.

Setsuna scrunched her nose. "Your British accent is terrible," she joked.

"Ugh!" Usagi groaned dramatically, on a fit of histrionics for the day. "Don't be the rain on my parade, Setsuna."

"Plus your curtsy was clumsy."

"The wet blanket on my fun fire!"

"Do you even know anything about politics?"

Usagi snorted. "Yeah, I know that they _suck_."

Setsuna smirked as Usagi's look became very sour. "Some Queen you'd be," she said, half jokingly, half serious.

Usagi held up her finger as they turned right again, making their way around Liberty Avenue. "Don't act like you wouldn't love me as Queen," she responded. "Free candy for everyone!" she cried, holding her hand up like a scepter. "No war, only peace. And everyone would have to wear pink at least once a week."

Setsuna giggled as they came across the lobby to Usagi's apartment. "Yes, My Queen."

Usagi waved hello to her doorman and offered Setsuna a snack before she left for the fabric store, which the older woman accepted politely. The ride up the elevator was silent, Usagi's mind drifting into royal fantasies and the sinking feeling of disaster growing within Setsuna at every floor they passed.

They got off on the sixth floor and Usagi trudged merrily down the hallway, Setsuna on her heels. When they approached the door, however, Setsuna grabbed Usagi's arm.

The blonde, startled by Setsuna's uncharacteristic abrasiveness, looked up in surprise. But that surprise was unmatched by the sudden amazement that struck her at the alarmingly serious look in Setsuna's wine red eyes.

"Setsuna, what is it—"

The green haired woman placed a finger to her lips, pulling Usagi quietly and slowly to the door. Finally the blonde caught a detailed look at her apartment.

Her door was slightly open, the wood near the lock blown away. A sinking feeling plummeted in her chest as she thought of all of her possessions. Usagi moved to enter the apartment but Setsuna held fast to her arm.

The older woman pressed her body flat to the wall and Usagi followed suit. Gently, Setsuna placed her palm to the door and pressed it open. It creaked gently and drifted wide to reveal a ransacked apartment.

Setsuna stepped through slowly, her head on a swivel for any disturbance or movement. Whoever had broken in could still be lurking in the shadows. She was careful to evade the debris on the floor but the girl she dragged along behind her was not as stealthy.

Broken glass crunched as Usagi's boots stepped on leftover shards. Her shoulders hiked up at the loud sound that pierced the silence and Setsuna froze her advancement into the apartment.

But nothing moved.

Swiftly she stepped into the bedroom and swung the door open, checking under the bed and in the closet. Usagi peeked into her bathroom. Nobody was there.

Finally Setsuna spoke up. "Luna is in here, Usagi-chan," she said from the bedroom as the dark cat emerged from the closet with wide eyes. She stood and walked to the door, making eye contact with the blonde's broken-hearted eyes. "Check around and see if anything is missing."

Usagi gulped and nodded as she started rummaging around her belongings, taking a mental inventory. Setsuna quickly turned around and kneeled in front of the cat.

"Luna," she whispered softly, a worried look in her eyes. "Are you alright?"

The cat rubbed her cheek against Setsuna's knee with a gentle meow. "I'm fine," she whispered shakily as she sat down in front of her. "Thank goodness they didn't find me," she almost squeaked. "It was them Setsuna, they're making their move."

Setsuna picked up the cat and held her small, shaking body in her arms. She pet her comfortingly as the cat mewled. "Don't worry Luna," she whispered determinedly, "then it's time to make ours."

Luna was about to respond when the sound of crunching glass broke through their silent conversation. Luna shut her mouth as Usagi appeared in the doorway with a look of pure befuddlement.

"I don't get it," she said, reaching out for the meowing cat. Setsuna handed her over. "Everything is still here."

Her television, her stereo, her expensive clothing and perfume…nothing had been taken. Even her extra stash of money that she kept iced in her freezer was untouched. "It's like they just broke some stuff and left." She looked down at the purring animal in her arms. "At least you're okay, kitty. They didn't hurt you, did they?" she asked as Luna meowed in return, rubbing her face against the palm that petted her.

That confirmed Setsuna's deepest worries, but she tried to play it off like any other robbery. "Let's call the police then and see what they can find," she said rationally. "In the mean time you can stay at my place tonight. I'll take off from work and help you clean up tomorrow."

Usagi sighed, the stress of the situation finally hitting her. "Damn," she cursed, rubbing her hand across her face and pinching the bridge of her nose. "Thank you for being such a good friend, Setsuna."

Trying to lighten the mood, Setsuna gave a tiny curtsy and Usagi giggled. "Of course, my Queen."

Setsuna knew precisely why all of her belongings remained and why the crazy destruction of some of her items seemed peculiar.

The break in had been staged. Whoever had stolen into her apartment hadn't been looking for items to steal or goods to take.

They'd been looking for Usagi.

* * *

"And one more round for the Hobbits!" Usagi howled as a crowd of curly headed men cheered around her, lifting frothy and empty mugs into the air.

Setsuna rolled her eyes and smiled as the drunken blonde slammed her own, albeit smaller, cup onto the table.

After they'd dealt with the police and dropped Luna off at her apartment, Setsuna had suggested that they get some drinks to ease the blow of Usagi's apartment being broken into.

Usagi had agreed heartily, letting loose a string of cusses all the way to the bar. They'd met some rugby players visiting for a tournament from Wales and Usagi had taken immediately to their curly hair and their gruff boorish appetite. She wanted people to get drunk with her, she wanted people to be angry with her, and she wanted cute and fit guys to hit on her.

They'd tried to approach Setsuna ("Don't talk to me, please.") and pull her into the rowdiness of their assemblage ("Get your sausage fingers off of me.") but she had reserved herself to watching Usagi let loose and have a good time.

Usagi chugged the fizzy liquid from her newly filled cup like a woman dying of thirst. She gasped for air as she took the cup away from her lips, sighing in contentment. A moustache of foam clung to her upper lip.

"Drink with me, Setsuna!" she chastised, looking to Setsuna's measly three cocktails compared to her five, albeit small, cups of beer.

Setsuna eyed the three cups absentmindedly, admitting that she was a little bit tipsy. She was drinking liquor, after all.

"Yeah, but you're not _drunk_," Usagi said exasperatedly again and Setsuna couldn't hold her giggle in anymore.

She pointed to the blonde's face. "Usagi…you—"

"You've got a beer-stache, love!" one of the rugby players bellowed with a laugh.

Usagi stood proudly, placing her hands on her hips and lifting her nose to the sky. "They call me George Washington," she said regally as the table silenced around her.

One of the rugby players turned to his teammate. "I'm not sure George Washington had a mustache. I'm not so fresh on my American history, though."

Usagi was not bothered by the comment or the newfound silence. "We lead the troops to Mordor!" she cried, lifting her fist into the air.

The rugby players erupted into wild cheers as she gave a huge, sunny smile and plopped back down in her seat. The player next to her grabbed her flushed face.

"Let me help you with that," he said, taking his thumb and brushing the stache from on top of her lip.

The glow from the alcohol blossomed into a full blush as Usagi gave a lopsided and girly grin. "Thanks," she gushed girlishly, melting at his boyish charm. She turned to Setsuna with a lidded look and wiggled her brows with a smirk that read, 'I got this.'

Setsuna rolled her eyes and without even looking, smacked away the hand of a player that had reached out to touch her. With a frown he leaned in to the table and made eye contact with the drunk blonde.

"Usagi!" he said. "Why doesn't your friend want to have fun like you?"

Usagi smiled and reached out a hand to pet Setsuna's hair lovingly. Instead she managed to slap a hand to the unamused woman's cheek and slide it adoringly over her eye and her nose.

"Because Setsuna is so pretty and so smart and so cool that nobody deserves her!" Though she'd said it in a voice one would use to talk to a baby, Setsuna was not offended. But she was not enjoying this.

With a lackluster glare at nothing in particular Setsuna raised her hand for the waiter. "Bourbon, three fingers, straight please."

Usagi squealed and threw her hands into the air as the team erupted into cheers and slammed their fists on the table.

"To the Shire!"

"TO THE SHIRE!"

* * *

Usagi held out her arms and did a sloppy jig as they walked down the sidewalk.

"I can't get no." Shake, shake, shake. "Satisfactiooonn." Shake, shake, shake.

"Hey Usagi," Setsuna whispered from behind her, waving the girl over.

Usagi froze mid shake, her rump sticking out to the right. Puckering her lips and slowly looking over her shoulder she drawled, "Yeeesssss?"

"Want to do something fun?"

Usagi turned on her heel with a devilish smirk. "Liiiike…" she looked left and then right before cupping her lips. "Something _illegal_?" she whispered excitedly.

Setsuna grinned and nodded emphatically, the blush on her darker cheeks obvious.

Usagi hopped from one foot to the other in excitement. "What do you want to do?" she asked, glazed eyes perking up. "Should we ding dong ditch?" She muffled a squeal. "That would be so mean!"

Setsuna watched her half lidded, amazed at her pathetic idea of illegal.

Usagi twittered excitedly, ready to go ring some doorbells.

Setsuna raised a finger. "No," she said and Usagi's look fell. "First off, we're in the city," she said, nodding at the closed stores and restaurants and lights that surrounded them.

Usagi nodded. "You're so smart."

"Second," she said, a small wicked smile coming over her face. "I have an idea."

Usagi stumbled after Setsuna as the taller woman bounded off down the street, retrieving a can of something from her purse.

"Where are we going?" Usagi whispered even though no one was in their vicinity.

"You'll see," Setsuna said absentmindedly over her shoulder, shaking the can.

In her drunken haze Usagi watched with a slightly open mouth. Setsuna had come prepared to do illegal things? She was totally the type of person to have a secret bad girl bone…Usagi smiled, liking her friend even more.

Suddenly Setsuna stopped in front of a brick façade. Some of the lights in the windows were on and when Usagi saw a man pass by she flattened her body to the ground. Setsuna raised her eyebrow at her.

"_People_!" the blonde hissed in response.

Setsuna shook the can, approaching the side of the building. "We haven't even done anything yet."

With a look of determination and the Mission Impossible theme song playing in her head, Usagi nodded and rolled like a spring roll down the sidewalk. She popped up and crept to Setsuna's side, arms out and eyes on the look out. "Ok, what do I do?"

"Hold my bag."

"Eh?" Usagi was suddenly weighed down by the heaviness of Setsuna's purse and her disappointment.

The green haired woman hopped into the air and grabbed onto the end of the fire escape, pulling it and herself back down to the ground. She climbed up the ladder, can in hand, and snuck high upon the building.

Usagi watched as her mysterious friend snuck around the fire escape, spraying some sort of image onto the brick. Usagi couldn't tell if it was because she was drunk or because the spray can was clear but she couldn't discern the image Setsuna was drawing.

When the taller girl was done weaving back and forth, drawing whatever it was she'd been doodling, she came back to the ground. Adding the finishing touches she turned with a smirk to the bewildered blonde.

"Are you ready?" Setsuna asked, grabbing her bag back from her friend and placing the spray-can within its depths.

"Uh…yes?" Usagi asked, not sure what she was supposed to be ready for.

Setsuna smirked. "Good," she said, fiddling around in her purse again. From within it she withdrew a small pack of matches. She handed the box to Usagi. "Just trust me," she said, "light a match and place it to the brick."

Usagi, even through her alcoholic haze, suddenly became wary. When Setsuna had suggested something fun, she hadn't anticipated that it would involve fire. But…she'd also said to trust her, something Usagi invariably did. Perhaps it was the beer that made her light the match with a sinister grin.

Usagi reached out and held the match to the red brick.

At first nothing happened. Usagi watched with bated breath as she waited for whatever Setsuna had done to take lite. And then suddenly the wall burst into flame, causing Usagi to drop the match and shield her eyes, stumbling backwards and falling onto her butt.

Her eyes widened in amazement as she watched the rushing flame crawl up the façade like a wild vine. The fire raced to its peaks and filled in the rest of Setsuna's design, a billowing heat wafting from it. Usagi's face glowed orange in awe as she watched the flame take the shape of a giant crescent moon.

They both stared at it, mesmerized by the image of the symbol alive on the side of the building. So giant and looming, Usagi felt as if she was in the presence of something ethereal and magical.

And then suddenly an alarm went off.

Usagi was shaken from her awe as the pounding noise infiltrated her ears. She gasped as she heard shouts from within the building and saw men peer out from the windows. She recognized their jackets…

She turned to Setsuna from the ground, wide eyed. "The _PREVENTERS_ office?!" she screamed over the alarm, scrambling unsteadily to her feet as shouts sounded from opening doors. "What in the HELL Setsuna!" she screamed, grabbing the girl's arm and pulling.

But the girl would not budge. She looked down to her blonde friend with steadfast eyes that melted sadly. She took her arm from Usagi's grip and placed both of them behind her head, sinking slowly to her knees. The alarm faded away, the noise of encroaching officers no longer panicked her as Usagi watched Setsuna with a tragic realization.

She'd done it on purpose. She'd meant to be caught.

Not bothering to try and deduce how or why, Usagi turned around and made a run for it. The fire burned at her back as she stumbled down the street, the panic rising in her chest again. Her heart swelled with betrayal as he heard a man close in on her drunken form. There was no way she was going to outrun him.

Strong arms wrapped around her waist and tackled her to the ground. Usagi slammed into the concrete and attempted to free herself from the officer who was trying to detain her. She squealed and squirmed in his arms, landing a heavy blow to his stomach.

The man grunted and turned Usagi over, slamming her chest into the ground. Metal handcuffs were immediately slapped onto her wrists.

"I didn't do anything!" Usagi cried as the man pulled her to her feet. "I'm innocent!"

The officer behind her snorted as he began to shove her back towards the Preventers building. "Yeah sure, because pretty ladies who run away are always innocent."

Usagi struggled again and he had to wrap his arms around her stomach. "I was set up!" she yelled as the officer tried to goad her back towards the flame. Her feet lifted into the air and she kicked them ferociously. "Oh my _god,_ get your hands away from my bladder I'm going to pee all over you!"

The man made a disgustedly girly "Ew!" before dropping her unceremoniously to the ground.

"Gwah!" Usagi cried as she crashed into the concrete.

"Sorry babe," the officer said sheepishly, pulling her to her feet, "But that was disgusting."

"Maxwell, status!" somebody called off from the distance. Usagi looked up and saw the silhouette of the man who had handcuffed Setsuna, his features erased by the giant wall of fire behind him.

"Detained!" the officer who held her yelled back. Suddenly he chuckled and Usagi couldn't help the tears that began to roll down her cheeks. "For your sake I hope you're innocent," he said, pulling her to her feet. "Girls like you never do well in jail."

"I'm just a Hobbit!" Usagi bawled drunkenly, 'Maxwell' pushing her gently towards the building. He sweatdropped as she continued to cry and mewl odd references to The Lord of the Rings. "I'm being used!"

They passed by the other culprit and the blonde in his arms cried even harder. "What did you do Setsuna?" she yelled, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I thought you were my friend!"

Duo didn't miss the pained look that crossed her friend's eyes before it was replaced with a stone like visage that reminded him of Heero. Suddenly he was struck with the notion that perhaps the girl in his arms _was_ innocent…

Oh well, he shrugged. They'd find out soon enough.

* * *

Whaaaat, a new story? I am a fool and I don't care. I actually have a really good idea for this story. It may be a little confusing at first but trust me, it'll all come together. Haha, wut, ok, read and review! Love you all


	2. How Little You Know

**And She Was Good**

**Chapter 2**: How Little You Know

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Sailor Moon or Gundam Wing

* * *

_[L2 Colony Cluster: Colony VN2744, a subsidiary of Colony V08744]_

For fun they called it Science Island, a name that Ami Mizuno detested. The VN2744 subsidiary was more like an expanded port than an actual colony. For starters it held, at any given point, no more than approximately 3,000 scientists and housed no occupants. It had been finished in the year A.C. 199 and served as an Outer Space auxiliary for CERN.

It had been much to her mother's endearing surprise that Ami had been born a genius. Not in the relative term, but in actuality. At age 12 Ami had passed every college entry exam required and been had admitted into the top Earth Sphere Unified Nation universities. Ami's mother had taken her out of University at age 14 when OZ was at its peak for fear that her acuity would be sought after and dragged into the Mobile Suit wars.

After hiding out in Zurich for a little over a year, she returned to school at age 16 in A.C. 197. Within the year, at age 17, she'd graduated and been hired as an assistant at the Franco-Swiss CERN compound. When the auxiliary had been completed in A.C. 199, Ami had been one of the first scientists, at the extremely young age of 19, to be released from her assistantship and transferred to VN2744.

It was now year A.C. 203 and Ami had been working at the subsidiary for almost four years. She hated the name Science Island because of the pretentious notion that it lumped all of their specialties and gifts into one egregious term: Science. But that was just Ami's finicky nature growing in light of the seriousness of her job.

_"The shuttle to L2, Colony V08744 is now boarding_," a mechanical woman's voice announced over the PA system. Ami sighed and stood, picking up her bag and readjusting her white coat.

They looked like lab rats, the lot of them. The port swarmed with nerdy looking professionals all decked in white jackets—protocol for the establishment—as they bounded towards their destinations like rats finding the end of a maze. The majority of them lived on V08744, which was lucky seeing as how the commute was relatively short, but a few fools lived on other colonies.

Ami stuffed her hands in her pockets and rocked on her heels, waiting for the long line to file onto the shuttle. To pass the time she absent-mindedly pinned her eyes to the large television screen that hovered before the boarding gate.

Chewing the inside of her cheek she stared blankly at the images on the screen while her mind wandered. At first the images appeared to be blurry, globular shapes as Ami contemplated her dinner options. She could make a quick risotto or mix up a pesto…she was pretty sure she had enough leftover lettuce to make a decent salad. Settling on the pasta, Ami let her eyes focus on the dramatic story that the anchorwoman was spewing. The tagline flew by beneath the screen in a blur of words that Ami didn't bother to catch. When the shuttle line began to move forward she took her eyes from the screen and shuffled along with her peers as they made their way onto the deck.

Ami ran a hand through her blue hair and rolled her neck, cracking the kinks. She couldn't wait to get home and lie down. The day had been exhausting, but at least she'd made a break through on—

Ami's hand froze midway through her hair again. Out of her periphery she could have sworn she saw…she looked back up to the screen, finally reading the tagline that rocketed by. Her eyes widened slowly as she stared straight ahead, the image on the television above her finally fully filtering in. The story had been changed to a split screen, one side showing a rapidly talking woman and the other was a long shot of a building.

Ami's breath caught in her throat as her heart began to beat painfully in her chest. It struck her ribcage so forcefully that Ami felt as though she was going to be sick. The image of the building took full precedence of the screen and a dreadful excitement strummed through her. The video that played on a loop was of a giant flaming crescent moon, raging on the side of the Preventer's office.

Ami had never been a huge proponent of violence but she couldn't help the growing smile that stole her lips. She wasn't happy about what she was seeing (because she knew what it meant) but she was taken by an overwhelming sense of relief.

_I can't believe it…_ she thought, tearing her excited eyes from the screen and to the port official. _Finally_. Quickly she reached into her purse and nabbed her card.

"Um," she started, holding it out to the official. "I'd also like to buy a ticket to Sanc Kingdom for tomorrow from here please? I'll be leaving after work."

The official took her card curiously but nodded nonetheless and swiped it through the small machine. She clacked away gently, setting up Ami's rare shuttle as said girl took back her card in sweaty palms.

"My mother is sick," she tried to explain, "I'm not sure how much longer she'll have."

The official's look softened and she apologized swiftly, but Ami didn't know if it had been for assuming her purchase suspicious or for her ailing mother.

The shuttle ride was short but to Ami it felt like ages. Her mind raced as it quickly formulated and tweaked the plan that she'd set up years and years ago. A sudden flourish of anger swelled in her chest as she thought about her current predicament and what had borne the situation she found herself in.

Her talented mind settled on her plan of action but she was petrified her jitters would cloud her precision. As Ami got off the shuttle and exited the port, she kept her eyes peeled for his flashy and sleek car.

Ami had been dating Momoi Arisawa for three years. He knew that she worked for the CERN auxiliary and she knew that he was an investment banker. Beyond that, neither necessarily had a clear understanding of what the other _actually_ did but were private enough people in their own right that it did not bother either of them. The relationship had progressed to where Ami had moved into his apartment almost a year ago.

When her eyes landed on the recently waxed, glistening vehicle that screamed money, she skipped towards it in glee. Ami pulled open the door, almost sad she had to leave her fingerprints on its pristine gloss, and slid onto the clean leather.

"You look happy," the man in the driver's seat said, smirking. "Have some breakthrough at work?"

Ami leaned over and graciously accepted the kiss he offered before beaming brightly. "Yup!" she said joyously, folding her hands in her lap. She hoped he didn't notice that they were shaking. "I finally calibrated the—"

"Sweetie, sweetie," he chastised absentmindedly, looking over his shoulder to make sure no cars were coming. He pulled out of the spot and they began driving along the road. "You know I don't understand that mumbo jumbo."

Ami shrugged her shoulders, not taking the smile from her lips. "Yeah, ok," she relented.

He raised an eyebrow in her direction. "Giving up that easily, are we?" he joked. "No, 'Momoi, you should be interested in what I'm interested in even though only 2,999 other people in the universe know what the hell I'm talking about' spiel?"

Ami smiled radiantly. "Nope."

"Well, damn!" he exclaimed, taking her hand and kissing it as he followed traffic. "I hope you have a breakthrough like this every day!"

Ami laughed softly and pulled her hand gently from his grip. He shifted the sports vehicle as traffic moved faster and turned to quickly glance at her. His smile was loving as he sweetly rubbed her head. "You're beautiful when you're happy, Ami."

A small blush filled her cheeks as she looked down to her feet embarrassedly. It was funny to her, how he could embody two sides of the same coin. One side was the sweetest, most loving and jocular man she could dream of…but the other was an uncanny and disastrous evil.

She forced herself to remember the latter, and only the latter.

They reached their apartment soon after and Ami shrugged out of her jacket, hanging it on a hook by the door. They lived lavishly, seeing as how he was drowning in money. He never told her precisely where he got it, just claimed some extravagant inheritance, but his secretive work hinted that he had a shady penchant for his superfluous gain.

"Are you hungry?" he asked, walking into the kitchen and opening up the fridge. "I had Minerva run to the market and grab a fillet this morning, I could whip it up for your calibration-breakthrough-whatever," he mumbled, rummaging around.

Ami threw her bag onto their expensive couch. "Sure," she responded with a devilish smirk, looking over her shoulder and making eye contact with him. "But I'm going to take a shower first."

The shocked look that briefly hung ungracefully on his face sobered quickly as Ami padded into their bedroom. She started the water of their ensuite bathroom, removed her clothing, grabbed something from her closet, and stepped into the water. The shower was spacious and swanky, a large, golden showerhead spouting even rivulets of steaming water. In the left corner a flat television module had been mounted on the wall, an instrument they both liked to use in the morning for the daily news.

Soon the smell of cooking steak infiltrated her nostrils as the bathroom door opened and closed. His naked silhouette became clear when he opened the shower door and stepped into the wide-open space. Momoi's fingers grabbed the remote and turned on the TV.

First he greedily took in the back of Ami's naked form, rubbing a hand from her shoulder to her hip. She had yet to fully succumb to the warm water but her body had been thoroughly soaked. As he wrapped his arm around her waist and pressed a flat, protective palm to her stomach, he watched the story pan out on the large screen.

He tsked. "Kids are crazy these days," Momoi muttered in reference to the giant flaming crescent moon. "You think they'd do a skull or something, the weirdos."

He felt the muscles in her back move as she shrugged. "Maybe it's a symbol for something," she said lightly as he kissed the side of her neck, keeping his eyes trained to the screen

The water warmed his skin as the mist built within the bathroom. "A symbol for what?" he questioned sourly, not in the least willing to give reason to childish pranks.

Ami looked over her shoulder and smirked at him, a small one that he returned. "For this," she said.

Ami's right foot pushed the drain head to the side as her left foot hit the back of his knees. He grunted and fell quickly as she promptly spun around him and kicked down his head. It landed on the tile with a sickening smack as she straddled his back.

Momoi groaned. "A-Ami?" he mumbled hazily, a thin river of red swirling towards the open drain. "What the fuck?" he growled angrily, his muscles bulging as he swiftly tried to push himself up. Ami used her strength and his weakened unsuspecting daze to shove him back down.

She didn't answer his infuriated questions as she grabbed his arms and slid his body toward the small, open hole. He attempted to rise again but this attempt had been even more pitiful than the first. A small river of blood made its way from his temple to swirl around the open drain. Ami placed her hand to his head and pressed it securely to the hole.

In her hand was a gun, the item she'd nabbed from her closet, and she pressed its barrel to the back of his head. His eyes widened at the pressure.

"Please," he uttered weakly and hastily, hoping to prey on the few tears he saw roll down her cheeks. "Think about what you're doing, what is wrong with you?!"

Ami felt her lip wobble and in a brief moment of vulnerability wanted to turn the gun on her own chest. She promised herself when she'd taken on the mission that she wouldn't let her feelings get the best of her…especially in conjunction with a monster like him. But he'd shown her that at the pit of every monster was a human, flawed through and through, wanting compensation for the same shortcomings that every soul felt it deserved.

But he wanted his compensation at the price of so much more than any soul justified.

Finally she found her voice as she saw the mottled fury take over his confused and woozy face. "This is for the murder of Mamoru Chiba," she growled and his eyes bulged in astonishment.

"You know…about Operation Argent?" Before he'd started dating her, Momoi had made sure to do a thorough background check on the blue haired genius. When not a single red flag had been raised he'd felt comfortable taking their relationship to the next level. What had he missed?

Ami leaned down to whisper in his ear. "I _am_ Operation Argent," she revealed as his hands gripped futilely at the tile. He tried to pull him body away from her but Ami held him tightly to the ground. "I know all about the Cobra Initiative and what you horrible people stand for."

He howled in rage, moving to strike her and two shots were fired through the silencer. A dull double thwap echoed only in her ears as the bullets went through his head and down the drain. His body flopped to the floor lifelessly.

Ami immediately dropped the gun, chest heaving up and down in excitement and rage and sorrow. His angered dead eyes stared out coldly at nothing, mouth hanging agape in frozen shock. Over and over she repressed the memory of his good side, over and over she forced herself to remember what he had done, how he'd been so integral in her dearly departed friend's demise, and how he continued to put the world in jeopardy.

Her breathing slowed and Ami's eyes held firm resolution. Standing from his body she reached out an alarmingly steady hand and grabbed a bar of soap. To ease her mind she rhythmically washed herself of his blood and gore, repeatedly saying the same thing over and over in her head.

_I have to get out before the steak burns._

* * *

_[Milan, Italy: Earth Sphere Unified Nation]_

She was decked out in a red confection that looked more like an apple than she'd like to admit but it hugged and billowed in just the right places to make it look couture.

"On deck!" a girl dressed all in black with a microphone plastered to her head yelled down the line of women. She peeked out behind the curtain and Minako could seer her nodding a mental countdown before she approached the blonde.

The woman pressed a hand to Minako's back and gave two firm nods before applying a quick jolt of pressure to her spine. "Go!" she whispered quickly and Minako rounded the curtain, striking a pose.

Seconds later she was strutting down the catwalk with her carefully crafted saunter, adding enough sway and attitude to complement the outfit. Row after row of eyes followed her dainty form as she reached the end of the runway and struck another pose. Minako lived for these moments, when the photographers let their flashes riddle her with light and all eyes remained markedly glued to her body.

She let her shoulders lead her body as she gave a sassy half shimmy and spun on her heel, returning the same way she came. She passed a friend in a blue get-up similar to her own that Minako had noted looked remarkably like a blueberry. The fruit cocktail of couture, she'd called it, but designers and boutiques ate it up. _Literally_, Minako giggled in her head.

The show had gone smoothly, as it usually did, and before the end of the night Nadia was asking her to share a cigarette.

"On the way back to the loft," Minako had agreed distractedly, gathering her belongings. When they cleared the building she reached out a hand and Nadia placed a slim cigarette in her fingers. There was something fashionable about cigarettes these days. She'd briefly moved over to the electronic and healthier version but a classic je ne sais quoi emanated from the antiquated version.

"Do you want to come to Alessandro's?" Nadia asked as they gracefully skated the cobblestone streets. Two men on a Vespa shouted "Ciao ragazze!" before slowing purposefully. When Nadia flipped them off they scooted down the street with jeers.

Minako rolled her eyes at how painfully predictable men in Milan were. She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know," she said, scrunching her nose. She inhaled some of her cigarette and teetered for a moment in her heels as they navigated the sidewalk. "I heard from Katarina that he just copped premium blow and I'm not really in the mood for that tonight."

"Minaaa," Nadia complained, stepping onto a busier street. She wove her arm through the blonde's and blew her smoke away from their faces. "You never do fun things with us anymore," she pouted, and Minako had to admit, it was a beautiful pout. "Remember Barcelona?" She grinned, wiggling her eyebrows.

No, Minako did not remember Barcelona. "Ugh," she scoffed, pulling herself closer to her friend, "don't remind me."

"There was a lot of nudity that night…" Nadia drifted off with a far away smirk.

Minako laughed and took a drag from her cigarette. "I said _don't_ remind me!" she chastised.

"You were the life of the party," Nadia said, struggling through her Russian accent. "That's how I know you were made for…the happy powder."

Minako couldn't help herself as she braced against a restaurant façade and burst into laughter. Nadia followed suit and the two were a pair of picturesque gigglers, so beautiful and posed it looked as if they were poised for a photo shoot. They chose to ignore the multitude of gentlemanly eyes that immediately plastered to them.

"I really just can't tonight," she admitted, trying to worm her way out of the situation. She glanced to the TV outside of the restaurant as Nadia took her hand and began to pull her farther along the sidewalk. Minako grabbed her hand and held it tight, freezing the girl's progression.

Nadia looked confused. "Why not?" she huffed impatiently, looking to Minako's face. It held a distinctive worry and awe that caused the leggy brunette to follow her friend's widened eyes to the TV screen. The image displayed was of a giant flaming crescent moon, blazing on the façade of the Preventers office. "What is it?" Nadia asked.

"N…nothing…" Minako drifted off, not able to take her stupefied eyes from the screen. Slowly Nadia was able to goad her away as the blonde shook her head and pasted a big and bright smile to her lips. She kept her arm wound tightly through Nadia's and pulled her close excitedly with a baby squeal.

"You are so strange," Nadia muttered, taking a drag.

"Yes but you love me," Minako bantered, a slight skip to her step.

Nadia raised an eyebrow at her peculiar behavior. "What has gotten into you?" she asked.

"Ok," Minako gushed, "I didn't want to say anything but I'm meeting up with Masarahi tonight."

Nadia gaped. "The hot business man?" she asked, immediately jealous. She gave a relenting sigh. "Brigitte and I each owe you 100 Euro by the way, you did snag the richest man."

Minako flipped her hair over her shoulder with a pompous smirk. "I told you, my charm is undeniable."

Nadia rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well, I hate to boost your ego but you won the bet fair and square."

Minako didn't want to relinquish that there'd been nothing fair and square about it. Masarahi had been nothing short of a long term target—she knew far before they'd made the bet that no other man in Milan could top his gross income. She didn't necessarily have plans with him yet but with one flirty text the man was nearly begging for her company. The conversation had gone something like:

_Hi…remember two weeks ago? ;)_

_I'll pick you up at 20:00._

When they got to the loft Minako stripped out of her leather and legging combination and slipped on an all black outfit consisting of a tight, short sleeved crop top, a classic length envelope skirt that covered her midriff, and a pair of black and gold Manolo Blahnik healed boots. She kept her hair down and parted it in the middle, having been rid of her bow and her bangs long ago. She wound a chunky gold necklace around her neck as she used her hip to open her bedroom door.

_"Mon dame sexy!"_ Brigitte said appreciatively before turning back to the salad and magazine in front her, delving into what little lettuce she dared to consume. "I hear you are going out with Masarahi tonight," she gushed, wiping a spot of dressing from her lip.

Minako smirked and opened her clutch, rifling through and making sure that all of her necessary items were accounted for. "Oui, oui mon amis," she joked with a wink, taking out her cell phone in perfectly manicured nails.

"_Merde_," Brigitte cursed, eyeing the ceiling with a wistful look. "You are _tres_ lucky, Mina," she envied, reaching towards her wallet and pulling 100 Euros from its depths. Minako reached out for the colorful notes but Brigitte pulled them back like bait with a saucy look. "Use it wisely," she said dramatically.

Minako rolled her eyes and snatched the money with a grin. She took a look at her roommate's attire and placed a hand on her hip. "Are you not going to Alessandro's tonight?" she asked, knowing all the while that Brigitte was not his biggest fan.

The brunette model gave her a knowing look that obviously read of her distaste and Minako laughed. "I cannot stand that creeper."

"Creeper yes," Nadia said, popping out from the bathroom in a plume of steam. "But he is still very qualified in bed."

Minako and Brigitte gagged at each other, making retched noises that caused Nadia to laugh all the way to her bedroom. Minako's phone began to vibrate. "I'll take that as my cue to leave," the blonde chuckled, blowing a kiss to Brigitte. "See you tomorrow," she bid farewell.

Brigitte, who'd just taken a bite of her salad, made a friendly kissy gesture with her lips and continued chewing before saying, "Yes, if you're not in Madrid by then!"

He picked her up in a white Aston Martin and took her to a posh restaurant. Luckily he was type to wine and dine because Minako's mind was reeling with too much excitement. She didn't want her glee to get the best of her nerves.

Needless to say she was happy with his lewd suggestion that they 'get out of there' and head back to his apartment. They burst through his door in a flurry of furious kisses as they stumbled towards his kitchen.

Masarahi shoved Minako harshly against his polished granite and took to devouring her neck.

"Fly to Budapest with me tomorrow," he whispered breathily, drunk on her creamy flesh. "I have two weeks off from work."

Minako dug her fingers into his hair and turned her head, exposing more of the delicate area to his hungry lips. With a grin she murmured back, "absolutely…" before bringing his lips back to hers.

Masarahi pulled away with a beautifully arrogant smirk and whipped off his shirt. Minako couldn't deny that he had reasons to be arrogant but she refrained herself from rolling her eyes. Disgustingly wealthy men were really a breed of their own. He grabbed her hips and Minako squealed as his strong arms lifted her onto the counter and pulled at the bottom of her crop top.

The item came off and he tossed it into the distance, grabbing her exposed flesh and kissing the swells of her breasts. Minako grabbed his head and pulled it away from her body. He looked up with innocently confused lustful eyes.

"Turn around," she whispered sensually, curling a lock of hair from the nape of his neck around her finger. He didn't oblige and she pulled on the lock, forcing his head back with a rough tug. Her lips hovered millimeters above his as she growled, "Turn. Around."

He gave her a slow broad grin and complied, his shoulders fitting into the gap of her legs. Minako scooted forward until she was flush against his back and ran her hands down his chest. She nipped playfully at his ear and moved to gently bite at his neck.

"I want to play a game," she whispered softly and he shivered, the hairs on his arms standing on end. The cold _schwing! _of metal caused his half lidded desirous eyes to widen as she pressed the sharp edge of one of his largest kitchen knives to his neck.

His breath quickened not in fear but in excitement. "I had no idea you were this kinky," he said lowly as he watched her hand slowly snake to the waist of his pants. His breath became erratic when her slender fingers dove past the expensive fabric.

"There's a lot you don't know about me," she said, bringing her lips around to kiss his. He responded with fervor, wrapping an arm around her neck and bringing her face closer to his. He broke away for a sharp intake at her hand's gentle touch.

"Like where I'm from…" she continued, kissing the back of his neck. She pressed the knife tighter to his throat and he swallowed, not sure whether he was in pleasure from her hand or in pain from the knife. "Or who my allies are…" she nipped at his neck, "or how I know that you helped kill Mamoru Chiba."

For all of his muscle and all of his keenness, Masarahi did not have enough strength or mind to evade the deadly slice of the knife that tore open his throat.

* * *

Next chapter will be Rei and Makoto! Hope you all liked, read and review!

**Yami Nocturna**: Ooooh you betcha! Things will start to make sense as to why maybe not next chapter but definitely the one after that. You definitely hit the nail on the head. Thank you so much for your review, I really appreciate it!


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